In Belgium, the death rate from the heat in June became a record in Europe

The death rate from the heat in Belgium in June became a record among the EU countries. This was reported by the newspaper Nieuwsblad with reference to the study.

According to journalists, 2,000 more people died during the heat wave in the country compared to the average death rate at this time of the year. The excess mortality rate in Belgium was 48%.

This indicator is the highest for Europe. The value is significantly higher than in neighboring countries, where a similar temperature peak was observed. In particular, in France, excess mortality was 23%, in the Netherlands — 13%.

It's stuffy to live: abnormal heat as a new economic norm in Europe

Temperature records on the continent are provoking a sharp increase in costs

Bloomberg reported on July 23 that the June heat wave that hit European countries cost the UK economy $1.5 billion. According to the researchers, the recorded temperature was the highest in the history of observations in Europe. Extreme weather conditions caused about 2.7 thousand additional deaths in England and Wales.